DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL to store sensor data. Each sensor sends a row every second. The table has grown to 500 GB and queries filtering on a timestamp column are slow even with an index. The team wants to improve query performance while keeping the data online. Which approach should they take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Partition the table by time using PostgreSQL table partitioning
Partitioning the table by time (e.g., by day or month) allows PostgreSQL to prune partitions, reducing the amount of data scanned. This is a common pattern for time-series data. Adding more indexes can slow writes. Read replicas help with read scaling but not query performance on the primary. Changing to Aurora PostgreSQL with parallel query can help but partitioning is a more direct solution.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Partition the table by time using PostgreSQL table partitioning
Why this is correct
Partitioning by time allows partition pruning, significantly improving query performance on timestamp filters.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Migrate to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL and enable parallel query
Why it's wrong here
Parallel query can speed up some queries but partitioning is a more fundamental optimization for time-series data.
✗
Add more indexes on the timestamp column
Why it's wrong here
Additional indexes on the same column are redundant and may degrade write performance.
✗
Create a read replica and direct queries to the replica
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas distribute read load but do not improve performance of individual queries against large tables.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Partition the table by time using PostgreSQL table partitioning — Partitioning the table by time (e.g., by day or month) allows PostgreSQL to prune partitions, reducing the amount of data scanned. This is a common pattern for time-series data. Adding more indexes can slow writes. Read replicas help with read scaling but not query performance on the primary. Changing to Aurora PostgreSQL with parallel query can help but partitioning is a more direct solution.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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